Let's Be Cops Review

Rated R (Language including Sexual References, Some Graphic Nudity, Violence and Drug Use)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes

Cast-

Jake Johnson-Ryan O'Malley

Damon Wayans Jr.-Justin Miller

Nina Dobrev-Josie

James D'Arcy-Mossi Kasic

Rob Riggle-Officer Segars

Keegan-Michael Key-Pupa

Andy Garcia-Detective Brolin

Natasha Leggero-Annie

Jonathan Lajoie-Todd Cutler

Tom Mardirosian-Georgie

Joshua Ormond-Little Joey

Directed by Luke Greenfield

Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. play a pair of thirty-year-old losers who go on a power trip as fake cops in Luke Greenfield's latest film "Let's Be Cops."

Note: Screened on Thursday, August 7, 2014 at Regal E-Walk Stadium 13.

Wow, talk about bad timing! Luke Greenfield's late-summer R-rated comedy "Let's Be Cops" is obviously an attempt by 20th Century Fox to capitalize on the box office successes of "21 Jump Street" and its recent sequel but the film—which revolves around fake cops using their fake authority to cause some real chaos—happened to open just as real cops declared war on the populace of Ferguson, Missouri, with the city currently mired in civil unrest after a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager. Given that the protests (and the police's wildly excessive response to said protests) began a little over twenty-four hours before the film's official release, there wasn't much that the studio could do anyway and in hindsight, it didn't even matter because "Let's Be Cops" debuted with a better-than-expected $17.8 million. That total gets bumped to $26.2 million since it opened on a Wednesday, which is impressive considering the film features no major stars. Such success can be attributed to 20th Century Fox's effective marketing campaign, which serves as a 'prime example of how a strong, simple, and easy-to-sell concept and a crowd-pleasing trailer can overcome pretty much every obstacle in the path to relative financial success' (Scott Mendelson, Forbes). It's true that "Let's Be Cops" features a fun premise but Greenfield doesn't quite deliver on its promise, with the film largely coasting by on the comedic chemistry of Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr.

Long-time friends and roommates Ryan O'Malley (Jake Johnson) and Justin Miller (Damon Wayans Jr.) once made a pact stating that if they hadn't 'made it' in Los Angeles by the time they're thirty, they would move back to their hometown in Ohio. Both have already hit the big three-oh and everything sucks as Ryan is a washed-up college football player who's been living off his residual checks from a commercial for STD medication while Justin is a struggling video game designer with an annoying boss (Jonathan Lajoie). Donning police officer uniforms from one of Justin's failed video game pitches, the two head to their college reunion but discover that it's not a costume party as Ryan mistakenly believed, it's a masquerade ball. Worse, they're painfully made aware of their thirty-year-old loser status while mingling with their more successful former classmates. Ryan and Justin mutually agree to honor their pact while walking home but when they're mistaken as real cops, the two decide to live a little and enjoy the gag. Ryan, however, gets too carried away and begins researching police code words and procedures on YouTube. He even goes so far as to buy a decommissioned police cruiser on eBay! Meanwhile, Justin uses his fake uniform to woo his crush Josie (Nina Dobrev), the pretty waitress who works at a local diner. Unfortunately, Ryan and Justin's fake cop shenanigans attract the attention of Russian gangster Mossi Kasic (James D'Arcy). Without backup and even access to real guns, the two must now put their 'badges' on the line if they are to make it out alive.

Being a (fake) cop has its perks!

'You've been watching too many movies,' says a corrupt detective during a tense verbal standoff with Ryan, who's been investigating him despite the fact that he's not even a real cop. That same line can be applied to director/writer Luke Greenfield (no relation to actor Max Greenfield) and co-writer Nicholas Thomas as "Let's Be Cops" hits all the typical buddy cop tropes like its ticking off a checklist. The premise, which is blatantly spelled out on the poster's tagline, is admittedly clever but suffers from the same problem as last month's "Sex Tape": it feels more suited to a "Saturday Night Live" skit than a feature film. Although the comedy frequently panders to the lowest common denominator, the first half does boast some solid guffaws thanks to the irreverent, playful energy that Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. share. One scene had their characters responding to a domestic disturbance call at a sorority house and while it's filled with ghetto black women stereotypes and ouch-my-balls slapstick, I couldn't stop myself from laughing. Unfortunately, Greenfield never fully mines the film's premise to its full potential, with the Russian gangster subplot frequently getting in the way of the comedy in the second half. Things pick up once Keegan-Michael Key enters the picture as a crazed Jamaican named Pupa, who's been transporting illicit goods to Mossi. Key's appearance, along with a subsequent scene where Justin goes undercover as Pupa, delivers by far the biggest sustained laugh in the film. "Let's Be Cops" is at its funniest when it goes wacky and absurd but such moments are few and far between, with too many long stretches where there's nary a laugh to be found.

One of the film's highlights is Keegan-Michael Key as a crazed Jamaican named Pupa.

The sole saving grace to "Let's Be Cops" is Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr., both of whom currently star on the television sitcom "New Girl" alongside Zooey Deschanel. Hell, you can ever consider Greenfield's film as an R-rated lost episode of the show! Johnson and Wayans Jr. are clearly having a lot of fun playing dress-up and their chemistry together is infectious. The two actors keep the film watchable even when the material they're given isn't quite up to par with their comedic talents. As mentioned before, Keegan-Michael Key breathes life into the latter half and it’s a shame that he exits the picture so quickly. Natasha Leggero is also a highlight as a sex-crazed vixen that's hot for Ryan. The rest of the supporting cast is a mixed bag with Nina Dobrev as charming but disposable love interest Josie and James D'Arcy (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Ethan Hawke here) coming off as weirdly out-of-place as brutal gangster Mossi Kasic. D'Arcy's performance feels suited to a more serious-minded cop flick. Rob Riggle briefly pops up in an odd straight-man role and finally, there's Andy Garcia, whose role I won't reveal since it's a spoiler but its clear the actor's only on hand to pick up a paycheck.

Released on August 13, 2014, "Let's Be Cops" has received abysmal reviews with a paltry 12% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr.'s comedic chemistry but bemoaned that the resulting film 'fails to do anything with it.' Although Greenfield's latest is far from being good, it's certainly not as bad as most critics are making it out to be. I also feel that the current civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri colored the opinion of a small subset of reviewers. Ultimately, I don't think 20th Century Fox really cares as the film is already a moderate success and will likely top out around $50 to $55 million, three times its $17 million production budget. "Let's Be Cops" isn't terrible as it boasts some solid laughs and an appealing comedic pair with Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. but Greenfield could've taken the premise further instead of settling for easy slapstick and well-worn buddy cop tropes.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"I look like someone hit me in the face with Lil Wayne!"